The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "nation's economy" ...
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Florida's Insurance Nightmare
Six years after eight hurricanes ripped across Florida, state residents still struggle to recover from the storms' legacy - a wrecked property insurance market. Exorbitant premiums, the highest in the world, have soured the state's struggling economy, killed real estate sales and forced families from their homes. Homeowners were told that unless they paid even more, no insurance company would take their hurricane risk. The Herald-Tribune showed that is a lie. Floridians have been lied to about why there is a crisis, where their money is going, and whether they're even protected against storm losses. Public policy has been corrupted by fiction spun by the insurance industry and its supposed regulators. Billions of dollars desperately needed for the next disaster have been siphoned offshore. And millions of homeowners are left to entrust their financial security on a system rigged to extort profit. To expose the hidden truth of Florida's insurance crisis, St. John cultivated key sources deep within every aspect of the insurance industry and sought massive amounts of financial and policy data from multiple state and national entities. When it became obvious Florida's crisis was manipulated from afar, she traveled to Bermuda and Monte Carlo to discover the hidden players truly in charge.
Tags: home insurance; property insurance; Florida; hurricane; real estate; insurance premiums; homeowners; Bermuda; Monte Carlo; state regulators; anti-trust law; State Farm
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The Card Game
This story investigates the “future of the massive consumer loan industry and its impact on a fragile national economy”. This story looks into the inner workings of the credit card business and how a number of people are trying to reform the way the industry has done business for years. But some major steps need to be taken before a change can be made.
Tags: Consumer Financial Protection Agency; Congress; banks; finances; government; Providian Financial; interest rates; fees; payments
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"As economy toppled, seven Arizona congressmen continued traditions of staff bonuses"
Seven congressional representatives in Arizona chose to ignore the floundering economy and reward staff members with hefty year-end bonuses at the taxpayer's expense. In 2008, those bonuses totaled $300,000. One only Arizona congressional member, Rep. Gabrielle Gifford, refused the extra money.
Tags: Rep. Rick Renzi; Arizona congressional representatives; Raul Grijalva; National Taxpayers Union; Gabrielle Gifford
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The Sellout
This book shows that the financial turmoil is part of something larger. The financial institutions are selling out their responsibility to their shareholders, outside investors, and the American public. This is one of the main reasons for the financial and economic market the way it is today. Also, Wall Street's self-indulgence and the government's lack of management played a large role in this as well.
Tags: economy; markets; finances; Wall Street; stocks; national; recession
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Flipping Fraud
In one of the largest white collar crimes, "$10 billion in suspicious property flips helped turn the real estate boom into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression." This series became the most comprehensive investigation and it also uncovered certain tactics used by these men to appear legitimate. Furthermore, this investigation didn't have the help of police reports and court cases, just the truth.
Tags: real estate; white collar crime; mortgage fraud; flipping schemes; crash; nation's economy; con men
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Fighting New Jersey's Tax Crunch
The series provided a detailed analysis of New Jersey's dysfunctional property tax system, which has the highest costs in the nation. Using U.S. census data, IRS data, 10 years of local tax information, and more than 40 databases of local and state employee payrolls, we found that the system had evolved into a juggernaut that was destroying the fiscal and social fabric economy of the state.
Tags: property tax; racial disparity; assessments; tax breaks; economic segregation;
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Fixing New Jersey
New Jersey's government turned from fiscally sound to being one of the worst in the nation. The state is tens of billions of dollars in debt, a rapid change in less than a decade.
Tags: state budget; pension cost; grants; tax system; economy;
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Foreclosing on the American Dream
"Colorado leads a national wave of foreclosures that is leaving neighborhoods blighted and forcing many homeowners into financial ruin. The Denver Post examined why the state's foreclosure rate leads the nation and how it is affecting Coloradans, their communities and the economy. Aggressive building and lending practices, lax regulation and a high rate of mortgage fraud, among other factors, are pushing thousands of homeowners into foreclosure."
Tags: forecolsure; homes; Colorado; fraud; building regulations; lending; mortgage
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Fuel Economy: Why You're Not Getting the MPG You Expect
U.S. government fuel economy ratings data significantly mislead consumers about the miles-per-gallon they can realistically expect to get from specific new cars and trucks. This is due to flawed and outdated testing methodology, procedures and loopholes used by the EPA, the NHTSA, and automakers.
Tags: cars; automobiles; environment; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; mileage; gas; fuel economy; mpg
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Immigrant Journey
Brown covered the story of immigration from Ecuador to Queens County, NY, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, from both ends of the journey. He found that Ecuadoreans bring their prejudices with them, such as anti-gay opinions and a belief in the inevitability of corrpution in politics. But they also send money back home that keeps the country's economy afloat.
Tags: Immigration; Ecuador; INS; Central America; Latin America; New York City; diversity; poverty; economy